<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>One Sweet Day by ShuTodoroki</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28224585">One Sweet Day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShuTodoroki/pseuds/ShuTodoroki'>ShuTodoroki</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cars (Pixar Movies), Planes (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Afterlife, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Backstory, Heaven, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Romance, Songfic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:34:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28224585</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShuTodoroki/pseuds/ShuTodoroki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Sorry I never told you, all I wanted to say..." Blade watches a past episode of CHoPs to relive old memories. Nick was gone too soon; Blade never built up the courage to tell him how he really felt. However, there's a hope that Blade will see Nick again, one sweet day.<br/>Inspired by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's One Sweet Day.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nick Loopin' Lopez/Blade Ranger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>One Sweet Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The TV shone in the dim hangar, as a certain Augusta Westland watched, teary-eyed. All of the blinds were down so no one could see what he was doing inside. An episode of CHoPs played from a cassette, and although the colors were faded from age, Blade could recall vividly what he was doing that very day.</p>
<p>He didn’t know why he did this to himself. He knew that he would cry if he looked back on those days, but at the same time it gave him relief. It was the closest thing that he had to a time machine.</p>
<p><em>“Blade, we got a situation.”</em> Nick said on the TV.</p>
<p>The two helicopters were hovering over the scene of a pile up on one of the interstates. </p>
<p><em>“Go down to see who’s the most injured.”</em> Blade told Nick. </p>
<p><em>If only I added a “Be careful.”</em> after that. Blade thought.</p>
<p>Nick landed, and gestured at a badly dented Toyota Celica. <em>“We’ve got one.”</em></p>
<p>On the TV, Blade used his hoist to lift the Toyota Celica to safety, which caused present Blade to unconsciously look behind himself at his hoist. Still there, but now actually used for saving lives. The Toyota Celica wore convincing makeup; all of the cars involved did.</p>
<p><em>“I’ve already cuffed the guy who caused it all. Ironically, he’s the only one not seriously hurt.”</em> Nick reported.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Good move, partner.”</em>
</p>
<p>Blade had to pause the cassette after he said that famous phrase. He always said it at some point during the episodes, and it held a special meaning to him. He always said it to Nick, and Nick only. It was one of the few terms of endearment that he said regularly, but he never really said what he wanted to say to the Hughes.</p>
<p>He resumed the episode, and had a sad smile once the pile up scene was done. </p>
<p>Nick smiled at his partner. <em>“Nice job today, Blade.”</em></p>
<p><em>“Hey, I couldn’t have done it without you. How about we get donuts in celebration?”</em> </p>
<p>Well, maybe he did say what he wanted to say that time. It was a fond memory.</p>
<p>Nick bumped his side with a skid as he smirked. <em>“You read my mind.”</em></p>
<p>Blade took the cassette out, storing it away. They never actually got donuts right after that episode, but they eventually did later on in the break room. </p>
<p>The Augusta Westland sighed. It was bittersweet. He wanted to go back to those days, when he didn’t have a care in the world. All that mattered was Nick. Except he never treated the Hughes that way.</p>
<p>He never told him all he wanted to say.</p>
<p>He never imagined living without Nick’s thousand-watt smile.</p>
<p>He never said “Nick, I love you.”</p>
<p>That was what hurt him the most. Nick never knew how he felt. He always kept it sequestered inside. </p>
<p><em>“I’ll tell him later.”</em> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Now’s not the right time.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Maybe he won’t return my feelings.”</em>
</p>
<p>There were countless excuses he made to himself to put it off. He assumed that Nick would always be there. He took Nick’s presence for granted. He didn’t know when he would’ve built up the courage to tell the smaller helicopter, but he knew that he would’ve eventually done so, if not for that freak crosswind. </p>
<p>Now, it was too late to tell him. Years had gone by. He was forever hardened and changed, but his love for Nick stayed the same. But now, Nick would never know. He wouldn’t know that behind the serious facade, there was a helicopter that loved and cared about him. He died thinking Blade was just his best friend and co-star. </p>
<p>Well, if there was a heaven, then maybe he would eventually be together with Nick once he passed. One sweet day, he could tell Nick all that he wanted to say before. He would learn from his mistakes. He would hold nothing back. It was optimism that made him feel better, but it almost always never lasted.</p>
<p>Call him cynical, but he had reasons for it. Many, in fact. </p>
<p>He told himself Nick was going to be fine. He wasn’t. </p>
<p>He told himself his efforts to save Nick paid off. They didn’t.</p>
<p>He told himself he would confess to Nick how he felt. He didn’t.</p>
<p>Granted, the last one was his fault, but so many times, he brought his hopes up, only to be crushed in the end. Hence why he was hesitant about ever seeing Nick again in the afterlife. </p>
<p>He would believe it, though. It was the last strand of hope that he could clutch that was attached to Nick. It was the last bridge across the void of emptiness that ruled his life after the accident. </p>
<p>
  <em>And I know eventually we’ll be together<br/>One sweet day</em>
</p>
<p>Optimism was the only way that he would get through the everlasting pain that controlled him. He couldn’t have known that Nick would be gone in an instant like that, but all he could do now is cope. The past was all said and done, but what he did in the present could affect his future for the better or for the worse.</p>
<p><em>Nick, I save lives for real now, in your honor. I hope that you’re proud of me, and I can tell you everything when we see each other again.</em> He said mentally. </p>
<p>He had come this far in his life, fighting wildfires every day at Piston Peak as the Chief of Fire and Rescue. He would continue to push on, and stay strong. Giving up wasn’t an option. Why give up when you can save countless lives tomorrow?</p>
<p>Blade’s solitude in his hangar was broken when the sound of a siren permeated the air, as it reverberated across the Piston Peak Air Attack base. Patch soon came on the PA system to relay information about the new wildfire to the team, to aid them in fighting it.</p>
<p>The helicopter dashed out of his hangar to get ready to fight whatever wildfire was waiting for him, big or small. He would fight fires and save lives with all of his might. </p>
<p>For Nick.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>